Retractable Sun-Shield

ABSTRACT

A sun/rain protector for a person comprising of a back support secured to the back of the person by belts, a frame, retractable mechanism and flexible cover, wherein said flexible cover is mounted to the frame that is mechanically coupled to the back support. The flexible cover is made of a flexible material affixed to a portion of the circumference of the frame so that the material blocks the sun&#39;s rays from the head and neck of the person when the frame is manually deployed to a proper protecting position.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

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RELATED APPLICATIONS

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BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to sun protective devices and more specifically it relates to a retractable sun protector for a person.

2. Background of the Invention

It is generally well known among those who work outdoors or are exposed for a long period of time at an open space that there are several natural or environmental enemies. The sun is one of said natural enemies which when unshielded, beats down upon the head, face, ears and neck causing sunburn.

Numerous sun shade devices have been provided in prior art that are adapted to protect user's head, face and neck from the sunlight. For example, a well know device is the brimmed hat. However the use of a brimmed hat for that purpose is ineffective because prevents the free flow of air between the head and the hat resulting in the accumulation of heat.

Other devices, such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,112,957 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,657,037, disclose complexes and not easy retractable sun shields. Therefore there is a need to provide an easy retractable protective device for sun exposure in order to avoid sun's damages to the worker.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The disclosed embodiment of the present disclosure provides a simple and convenient retractable sun-shield which will shield the user from direct sunlight without the usual disadvantages of a brimmed hat.

It is also an object of the present disclosure to provide an easily erectable and collapsible sun-shield so that it is convenient for the outside user in order to reduce the size of the sun- shield protector assembly when the sun is down, or when he is not using his equipment. In this regard, the present disclosure substantially fulfills the need of providing an easy to carry device due to the expandable and retractable properties of the sun-shield.

It is still an additional object of invention to provide a substantial degree of flexibility for blocking sunlight from any direction relative to the user while concurrently allowing only a minimum obstruction of the user's vision.

A further understanding of the nature and advantages of the present invention will become apparent by reference to the remaining portions of the specification and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following drawings should be read with reference to the detailed description. Like numbers refer to like elements. The drawings, which are not necessarily to scale, illustratively depict embodiments of the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure.

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of the sun-shield device in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows an exemplary exploded view of sun-shield device accordance with the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows an exemplary embodiment of the first position during the retracting procedure of the sun-shield device in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows an exemplary embodiment of the second position during the retracting procedure of the sun-shield device in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 5 shows an exemplary embodiment of the final position for the retracting procedure of the sun-shield device in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Turning to the diagram, FIG. 1 shows the sun-shield device 1 of the present invention comprising flexible cover or fabric 4, a frame 2, a retractable mechanism (explain in more details below) and a back support plate 7.

The frame 4 is mechanically connected to the back support plate 7 by means of the retractable mechanism. The back support plate 7 is configured to be attached to the user's back and is hold in position by a strap or cross belt 8. The cross belt 8 is adapted to extend over shoulders and/or across body of the person, wherein said cross belt 8 comprises attaching means such as clips (not showed) for securing the back support plate 3 to the back of the person.

The back support plate 7 could be made of a single or variety of materials. Preferred materials are lightweight materials configure to have an ergonomic shape or material that provide a gently contact with user's back.

The sun-shield device 1 comprises an interchangeable flexible cover 4 comprising an upper cover 4A and lower cover 4B. The upper cover 4A and lower cover 4B may be integrally made or separated. Mainly the upper cover 4A stretches over the frame 2 and/or the lower cover 4B covers the retractable mechanism. It is important to understand that several removable fixing means are used to place the cover 4, such as fabric fasteners, magnets and more. The fabric may include different material, however preferred material are UV-resist, Water-repellent breathable fabric as the flexible cover. Further the fabric may include indicia for promotional purposes.

The top part of the sun-shield device 1 comprises a frame 2, wherein said frame is configured to expand and cover user's head. For example the frame dimensions are wide and long enough to avoid or reduce user's exposure to sunlight. In the instant case and as part of the exemplary embodiment, the current frame comprises a square shape with an inner framework 3. Configuration of the framework is subject to the frame structure; however the main purpose of the framework 3 is to increase frame 2 strengths in order to support the flexible upper cover 4A. The frame 2 and framework 3 could be made of similar or different materials. Preferred materials are strong lightweight materials.

FIG. 2 is directed to an exploded view of the of sun-shield device accordance with the principles of the present invention showing in more details the retractable mechanism. First the retractable mechanism comprises a mechanism holder comprising an upper support attachment 16 and a lower attachment 15 is attached to the back support 7. The upper support attachment 16 is mechanically coupled with a plate 17. The plate serves to hold at least a set of pulleys 13. The pulley 13 serves to create a smooth path for the movement or displacement of a cord 10 on top of the plate. The cord 10 comprises a handle at one end and a pin 101 at on the other end.

Further, the retractable mechanism comprises a pair of lower elongated bodies 5B attached to the mechanism holder 16,15. Each lower elongated body comprises a pivotal flange 50. The pivotal flange comprises at least a recess R or space to allow the passing through pin 101.

Each lower elongated body 5B is mechanically coupled to an upper elongated body 5A by means of bearings 500. The upper elongated body 5A comprises a second pivotal flange 51, a main body 52 and arms 53. The bearing 500 permits the rotation between said upper elongated body 5A and said lower elongated body 5B. The pin 101 pass through the first pivotal flange 50 and second pivotal flange 51 for fixing a position between said upper elongated body 5A and said lower elongated body 5B. The second pivotal comprises more than one recess for passing the pin 101 in order to provide different position between the upper elongated body 5A and said lower elongated body 5B. The pin 101 comprises a pin retractable motion mechanism, such as a spring in order to move the pin 101 back and forward in such way that the pin 101 is transferred from a first recess at the second pivotal flange 51 to a second recess. Once the pin 101 is aligned with the second recess the spring pushes said pin 101 into the second recess for securing a particular angle between the upper elongated body 5A and said lower elongated body 5B. Further the upper elongated body 5A is attached to a pivotal cylinder 11 by fixing the arms 53 to the pivotal cylinder main body. The pivotal cylinder main body serves as holder for a second set of pulleys 14. Same to the principle show above, the pulleys serves to create a smooth path for the movement or displacement of another cord 9 on pivotal cylinder main body. The cord 9 comprises a second handle at one end and a pin 90 at the second end.

The pivotal cylinder 11 comprises at least a flange 121 at each distal end. The flange 121 is a protrusion extending from pivotal cylinder main body. Said flange comprises at least a recess for passing through said pin 90. A pin holder 120 is attached to the flange 121 providing a path for the pin 90. Further, an adjustable bearing flange 12 mechanically coupled to the frame 2 by means of a hinge 2 a surrounds the pivotal cylinder 11. The adjustable bearing flange 12 further comprises several recess or holes R3. The pin 90 is configured to pass through the dimension of said holes R3, similar to the mechanism disclose above for the second pivotal 51. In the instant case, the pin 90 comprises a retractable motion by means of a spring in order to move the pin 90 from a first recess at the bearing flange 12 to a second or subsequent recess. Once located at said second recess the spring pushes said pin 90 into the second recess for securing a particular angle between the pivotal cylinder 11 and said frame 2.

FIG. 3 is directed to a first position during the process of retracting said sun-shield 1. As shown in FIG. 3 a displacement between said upper elongated body 5A and said lower elongated body 5B is completed. The displacement is achieved by changing the angular position between said upper elongated body 5A and said lower elongated body 5B. As explained before, the pin 101 is retracted by the pin retractable motion mechanism, wherein the pin 101 is pulled back by the cord 9. Once the cord 9 pulls back the pin 101 the spring is compressed and the pin 101 is removed from a first recess or hole R2. The upper elongated body 5A is rotated in order to aligned a second preferred recess with the pin 101. The movement of the upper elongated body 5A is clock wise, in such way that the frame turn from a horizontal orientation to a vertical orientation with respect to the back support 7. The position, as show in FIG. 3 may be secure by providing a recess at the second pivotal 51 for securing said angular displacement, however is preferred to avoid several recess in order to provide single pulling action at the cord 10.

FIG. 4 is directed to a second or subsequent position during the process of retracting said sun-shield 1. Similar to previous step, the spring is compressed and the user continues rotating said upper elongated body 5A in order to engage the pin 101 at a particular recess of the second pivotal 51. The subsequent position for the upper elongated body 5A is preferred to be aligned in parallel with said lower elongated body 5B. As disclosed above, after the pin 101 is aligned with the second recess the spring pushes said pin 101 into the second recess for securing a particular angle between the upper elongated body 5A and said lower elongated body 5B as shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 5 is directed to preferred final position for the sun shield 1. The frame 2 is collapsed to provide a close range or distance to the back support 7. In the exemplary embodiment, the collapsing action of said frame 2 is achieved by pulling cord 9 and/or releasing pin 90 from said bearing flange 12. Once the pin 90 disengages the bearing flange 12 the frame is rotated to a second position. The second position is preferred to aligned the pin 90 with a second recess at said bearing flange 12. At that particular position pin 90 is pushed toward said second recess, as explained above. Pin 90 anchors in said second recess for securing the desired position of the frame 2. The frame 2 is preferred to be rotated in a counter clock wise manner or in such way that the frame 2 is substantially parallel to the back support 7.

The invention is not limited to the precise configuration described above. While the invention has been described as having a preferred design, it is understood that many changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications of the subject invention will, however, become apparent to those skilled in the art without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention after considering this specification together with the accompanying drawings. Accordingly, all such changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications, which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention, are deemed to be covered by this invention, as defined in the following claims and their legal equivalents. In the claims, means-plus-function clauses, if any, are intended to cover the structures described herein as performing the recited function and not only structural equivalents but also equivalent structures.

All of the patents, patent applications, and publications recited herein, and in the Declaration attached hereto, if any, are hereby incorporated by reference as if set forth in their entirety herein. All, or substantially all, the components disclosed in such patents may be used in the embodiments of the present invention, as well as equivalents thereof. The details in the patents, patent applications, and publications incorporated by reference herein may be considered to be incorporable at applicant's option, into the claims during prosecution as further limitations in the claims to patentable distinguish any amended claims from any applied prior art. 

1. A sun-shield protective device comprising: a back support plate; a frame; a flexible cover; and a retractable mechanism positioned between said frame and said back support plate, wherein said retractable mechanism is mechanically connected to the frame by a first bearing; and wherein said back support plate is attached to the retractable mechanism.
 2. The sun-shield protective device as in claim 1, wherein said retractable mechanism comprises: a mechanism holder, wherein said mechanism holder is attached to the back support plate; at least a lower elongated body; at least a upper elongated body; wherein said lower elongated body is attached to the mechanism holder and said lower elongated body is mechanically couple to said upper elongated body by at least a second bearing and a first securing mechanism, wherein said second bearing allows the rotation of said lower elongated body with respect to said upper elongated body and said first securing mechanism secures an angular position between said lower elongated body and said upper elongated body.
 3. The sun-shield protective device as in claim 2, wherein said first securing mechanism comprises a first pin attached to a first cord, and said upper elongated body comprises at least a recess for inserting said first pin.
 4. The sun-shield protective device as in claim 2, wherein said retractable mechanism comprises a pivotal cylinder, wherein said pivotal cylinder is attached to the upper elongated body and wherein said first bearing allows the rotation of said frame with respect to said upper elongated body.
 5. The sun-shield protective device as in claim 2, wherein said retractable mechanism comprises a second securing mechanism, wherein said second securing mechanism secures an angular position between said frame and said upper elongated body.
 6. The sun-shield protective device as in claim 5, wherein said second securing mechanism comprises a second pin attached to a second cord, and said first bearing comprises at least a second recess for inserting said second pin.
 7. The sun-shield protective device as in claim 1, wherein said flexible cover is fastened to the frame.
 8. The sun-shield protective device as in claim 1, wherein said flexible cover comprises upper cover and lower cover. 